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Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers

Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers deliver unified computing in a rack-mount form factor. The Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Server family offers an entry point into unified computing and provides the flexibility for standalone management or can be integrated into a Cisco UCS-managed environment.

The following are some of the Cisco UCS C-Series Rack Servers that are suitable for AI/ML:

  • Cisco UCS C220 M7 Rack Server

  • Cisco UCS C240 M7 Rack Server

  • Cisco UCS C245 M8 Rack Server

The Cisco UCS C-Series offers several models to address various workload challenges through a balance of processing, memory, I/O, and internal storage resources. When used with Cisco UCS Manager, Cisco UCS C-Series Servers bring the power and automation of unified computing to enterprise applications, including Cisco SingleConnect technology. Cisco SingleConnect unifies local area network (LAN), storage area network (SAN), and systems management into one simplified link for rack servers, blade servers, and virtual machines (VMs). This technology reduces the number of network adapters, cables, and switches needed, and radically simplifies the network, reducing complexity.

Cisco UCS C-Series Servers are redy for Cisco Intersight. Cisco Intersight is a new cloud-based management platform that uses analytics to deliver proactive automation and support. Combining intelligence with automated actions can dramatically reduce costs and resolve issues faster.

Cisco UCS C220 M7 Server

The Cisco UCS C220 M7 Rack Server delivers superior performance and flexibility compared to its predecessor, and incorporates 4th- and 5th-generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors with up to 60 cores for each socket. Cisco UCS C220 M7 supports the latest Double Data Rate 5 (DDR5) DIMMs, allowing faster memory speeds and greater capacity. Also, it introduces Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) Generation 5.0, which offers significantly higher I/O bandwidth than PCIe Generation 4.0, making it ideal for the most demanding workloads.

The Intel AMX built-in accelerator improves the performance of deep-learning training and inference on the CPU and is ideal for workloads like natural-language processing, recommendation systems, and image recognition. The Intel Data Streaming Accelerator (DSA) and In-Memory Analytics Accelerator (IAA) further enhance the capabilities of Cisco UCS C220 M7, and ensure it can easily handle next-generation applications.

The following Cisco UCS C220 M7 Rack Server featuresare important for AI and ML workloads:

  • Supports up to two 4th- or 5th-generation Intel Xeon Scalable CPUs, with up to 60 cores for each socket.

  • Allows up to 4 TB of DDR5 memory.

  • Supports up to three GPUs.

  • Includes a modular LAN on motherboard (mLOM) slot that can be used to install a Cisco UCS Virtual Interface Card (VIC) Series adapter without consuming a PCIe slot that supports quad port 10-, 25-, and 50-Gbps or dual port 40-, 100-, and 200-Gbps network connectivity.

Cisco UCS C240 M7 Server

The Cisco UCS C240 M7 Rack Server offers cutting-edge performance and expandability, making it an excellent choice for various storage and I/O-intensive applications, including big data analytics, databases, collaboration, virtualization, consolidation, and HPC. This server, in its two-socket, two rack unit (2RU) form factor, builds on the strengths of the Cisco UCS C240 M6 Rack Server by incorporating advanced technologies and improved capabilities.

The following Cisco UCS C240 M7 Server features are important for AI and ML workloads:

  • Supports up to two 4th- or 5th-generation Intel Xeon Scalable CPUs with up to 64 cores for each socket.

  • Allows up to 8 TB of DDR5 memory.

  • Supports up to eight GPUs.

  • Includes an mLOM slot that can be used to install a Cisco UCS VIC Series adapter without consuming a PCIe slot, and supports quad port 10-, 25-, and 50-Gbps or dual port 40-, 100-, and 200-Gbps network connectivity.

Cisco UCS C245 M8 Server

The Cisco UCS C245 M8 Rack Server is suited for a wide range of storage and I/O-intensive applications, such as big data analytics, databases, collaboration, virtualization, consolidation, AI/ML, and HPC. It supports up to two AMD CPUs in a 2RU form factor.

It is powered by the 4th-generation AMD EPYC processors with more cores for each socket compared to the designs in previous generations. With advanced features like AMD Infinity Guard, compute-intensive applications will significantly improve performance and be more powerful and cost-efficient.

The following Cisco UCS C245 M8 Server features are important for AI and ML workloads:

  • Support for up to two 4th-generation AMD EPYC CPUs in a server that is designed to drive as many as 256 CPU cores (128 cores for each socket).

  • Allows up to 6 TB of DDR5 memory.

  • Supports up to eight GPUs.

  • Includes an mLOM slot that can be used to install a Cisco UCS VIC Series Adapters without consuming a PCIe slot and supports quad-port 10-, 25-, and 50-Gbps or dual-port 40-, 100-, and 200-Gbps network connectivity.

Content Review Question

Which built-in accelerator that improves the performance of deep learning training and inference on the CPU can a Cisco UCS C-Series have?